2013 Washington Nationals Review: Denard Span
By ljett
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Name: Denard Span
Position: CF
Stat Line:
2013 Expectations:
Going into 2013, it was Span’s first year in Washington as the Nationals acquired Span from the Minnesota Twins in the winter of 2012. He was projected to lead off for Washington and contribute to a potent lineup. He was projected to hit around .275 with an OPS around .710, which are right around his career averages. Coming off a career year in 2012, Span was looked to produce in a big way in that dangerous Nationals lineup.
2013 Results:
In 2013, the Nationals under performed and Span was about average. He ended up hitting .279 with an OPS of .707, which were both down from 2012. Span tied his career games played with 153 and 662 plate appearances as the lead off hitter for the Nationals. He also poured in 170 hits while leading the league in triples with 11. The major decrease for Span in 2013 was his WAR. In 2012, Span had a 5.1 war, which is a fantastic rate. But this past year his WAR dropped down to 2.4. On the plus side, he did lead the NL in fielding percentage; he did not make an error in 384 chances, while chipping in 5 outfield assists.
2014 Predictions:
All the predictions for his season are from Fan Graphs. The team he is playing on is not, however. Span’s name has been in the middle of some trade rumors this offseason, but the majority believe he will stay in Washington. 2014 is a contract year for Span, although he has an option for 2015. Span is projected to hit .266 with a .686 OPS. Also, he is thought to get 146 hits, six triples, and score 71 runs in 130 games.
Stats Courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs